The Trump administration says it ignored a Saturday court order to turn around two planeloads of alleged Venezuelan gang members because the flights were over international waters and therefore the ruling didn't apply, two senior officials tell Axios.
Why it matters: The administration's decision to defy a federal judge's order is exceedingly rare and highly controversial.
More registered voters say the U.S. is heading in the right direction (44%) than at any point since early 2004, though a majority (54%) still say the country is on the wrong track, according to an NBC News poll out this morning.
Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) stopped short Sunday of calling for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to be replaced — but she said it's time for Senate Democrats to decide if he's the man for the moment.
Why it matters: Schumer's decision to help Republicans pass a GOP-led funding bill to keep the government's lights on despite intense pressure to block the legislation highlighted growing fractures within his party that may put his job in jeopardy.
President Trump invoked a centuries-old wartime authority Saturday to accelerate mass deportations of Venezuelan migrants suspected of being being gang members with little to no due process.
Why it matters: Shortly after the White House released a proclamation triggering the Alien Enemies Act, a federal judge temporarily blocked the government from deporting any immigrants under the law and ordered planes that had already departed to return.
In public, President Trump is blunt, salty, mean, flattering and gossipy. In private, he's the same man — with an extra dash of profanity and edge.
Why it matters: Axios White House reporter Alex Isenstadt captures the two Trumps in a series of never-before-reported moments in his new book, "Revenge: The Inside Story of Trump's Return to Power," out Tuesday.
President Trump's tariffs are rattling the economy and drawing attacks from Democrats. But some key party members are largely backing his approach — arguing that Democrats need their own pro-tariff agenda to win back working-class voters.
Instead of warning about tariffs hiking prices, they say, Democrats should be talking about how they'd use tariffs more effectively — even if that means using them against allies, including Canada and Mexico.
Why it matters: It's the latest example of Democrats' soul-searching and agenda-tweaking after Trump made inroads among blue-collar workers with promises to use tariffs to boost American manufacturing.
Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is stirring speculation that he's floating a potential bid to be the 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, after bowing out of local races this week.
The big picture: Democrats eyeing runs for the White House in 2028 have largely remained coy about their intentions, though their actions indicate they're preparing for primaries.
President Trump's whirlwind of policy hauls kept spinning this week as he navigated international trade disputes, air strikes in Yemen and a ceasefire proposal for Ukraine.
Former Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, a Democrat turned independent, is taking revenge on Democrats who criticized her longstanding push to keep the Senate filibuster.
Why it matters: This week's Democratic campaign to shut down the government called for using the filibuster, which some Democrats spent the last few years arguing shouldn't exist.
The most urgent divide within the Democratic Party is less ideological than tactical: if the Dems stand and fight on every front or pick their battles.
Why it matters: The split is epitomized by the feud over whether Democrats should have let the government shut down on Friday, but it's bigger than that. The base is bracing for a four-year political war against a power-hungry president, but their representatives aren't all in battle formation.
Adam Boehler, who oversaw unprecedented direct negotiations with Hamas on behalf of President Trump, has withdrawn his nomination for the position of special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, according to two White House officials.
The intrigue: A senior Trump administration official claimed that the move has been planned for two weeks and was intended to shift Boehler into a different presidential envoy position with a broader mandate but no need for Senate confirmation.
